Starbuck Theory

Here is a theory that I have about what is happening with Starbuck on “Battlestar Galactica” as it relates to the original series that starred the late Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict. I subscribe to the Slice of SciFi podcast and your website and thought you all might like to see what I am thinking. I am probably not the first to think this, but I like to believe I am the first to put it together with nice screen caps.

ORIGINAL SHOW SHIP OF LIGHTS:
I don’t know if you remember the original show and the episodes called “War of the Gods” in which Count Iblis appeared and promised the way to Earth. He seemed to have great power. Also a ship appeared that they called the “Ship of Lights”

Near the end of the two part episode, Apollo stepped in front of a beam from Count Iblis that was intended for Sheba and was killed. Count Iblis left. On the way back the the Galactica. The Ship of Lights intercepted the shuttle and took Starbuck, Apollo (then dead) and Sheba on board. Whenever anyone was in contact with the ship of lights there was a bright light and they were all white.

The people on the Ship of Lights explained that they were once like human but over the millions of years had evolved to God like beings. They were intervening in what happened because Count Iblis overstepped his bounds. Sheba had given herself to him, but Apollo had denied him. When Apollo stepped in front of Sheba, he gave himself for her and that act the people on the ship of lights was reversing and brought Apollo back from the dead.

They then sent the shuttle back on its course for the Galactica. At the end of the episode, they were having dinner with Adama and discussing what happened. They did not remember the ship of lights incident and could only partly remember that Apollo faced Count Iblis and died. Then they stood up and began to have information about where Earth was but had no idea how they new this information at all and said it was like a feeling.

NEW SHOW CONNECTION TO SHIP OF LIGHTS:
Now to the New BSG, we know that something happened to Starbuck. First thing if you remember, in the episode when Starbuck died, she was speaking with what looked like Leobin. Only after she saw her mom and stuff she turned and said, “Your not Leobin are you?” and he replied, “I never said I was. However, he did display God like abilities to bring Starbuck to a place to be able to reconcile with her mother so that she could fulfill her role with her destiny. Furthermore, just before Starbuck died, her cockpit turned all white.

It almost would have looked like lightning, but if you look really close it remains constant for much longer then ten seconds and does not have the characteristics of lightning. When she returned to Galactica, she did not have any memory of what happened save seeing Earth and the feeling of the direction where she needed to go to get there just like in the original series show with the ship of lights. One other things has gotten my interest believing that this is Ron Moores version of the ship of lights is the painting that Starbuck is painting on the Demetris. First she remembered a vision that looked like Jupiter.

Then she painted one on the wall and take a look at what she painted.

Pay close attention to the cross star like object that looks like the ship of lights from above in the original series as I post screen caps from various angels that I could find on the internet.

You’ll notice that her initial vision showed the image of space, but she is painting a version that shows what looks like the Ship of Lights flying through that space towards Earth because that looks like Jupiter.

All of this and the fact that we know that Ron Moore likes to take from the original BSG and re-spin it and place it in the new show is why I believe that Starbuck and the whole feeling to Earth thing is about the Ship of Lights and has nothing to do with a Cylon trap which means that Starbuck is not a Cylon.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Anyone have any other ideas>

A few more thoughts in retrospect:

The question of the Hybrid in Razor will likely come up because it was the Hybrid who said that Starbuck was the Harbinger of death. In the original series, Patrick Macnee played the voice of the Cylon Imperious Leader and Count Iblis. At first it seemed like a coincidence until Count Iblis visited a captured Baltar and Baltar recognized the voice. Count Iblis implied that he was there a 1000 yehrens (years) ago when the voice was inscribed in the Imperious leader.

If we carry that forward knowing that Count Iblis is a bad evolved god like character, then we could say that the hybrid for the original Cylons on the base ship was not speaking in the best interest of the humans whereas the the people of the Ship of Lights were good god like evolved people and were in the best interest of humans. That may be a stretch but that is one possibility.

A second more likely, is that the hybrid saw the future in part. For example, Starbuck leads the fleet to Earth. Then the Cylon fleet jumps in and finds the remainder of humanity in one place and it looks like it could be the end of humanity. That would be all the hybrid sees even perhaps seeing overwhelming odds in the Cylons favor thus declaring that Starbuck will lead humanity to their death. Of course, the fat lady had not sung so to speak and therefore the end had not come. It looks bad but that doesn’t mean it’s over.

A third also likely possibility is the simply fact that the Cylons have all along dealt in deception and why would we believe they have all of a sudden decided to be any different. Sure, faced with death this hybrid may be thinking different and maybe not, but we don’t know that.

In the end, we really needed more information then we were given to know what was really meant. But I really believe that Starbuck is the Ship of Lights in the new BSG and, unless Ron Moore changed their benevolent behavior, they were interested in helping humanity and therefore the hybrids comments had to be some kind of mistaken interpretation or a ruse.

I am NOT a fan of the new Galactica.
One of the main reason is because Ron Moore couldn’t help himself when he decided to basically steal all the good story points from the original Galactica and rewrite them. This has continued throughout the series. I’m sure the original writers of Galactica should have gotten story credits and payment on SO many plots and storylines he lifted. For shame.
Seriously, Ron Moore is a hack.
I’m sure you’re right, it’s the Ship Of Lights.
Ol’ Ron will say, “Oh, it’s paying homage to the original series”. Bull.

As for the rest of the series….
Yea, we get what allegory is Ron. Tired of being repeatedly hit over the head with it. If I want an allegory to the Iraq war, I’ll just watch CNN.
Ron say’s “Add more middle eastern music here. I don’t think the general public gets what we’re alluding to.”
I like my sci-fi to be entertaining escapism, not a reminder of our world gone to crap.
Too bad the general public bought into this media darling. So glad it will be gone soon.

I’m glad that most people disagree with zeeterman. This is the best show on Television. Obviously he didn’t understand that this was a re-imagining of the original series. So, yes, it makes sense that some of the original elements are a part of this series. The Ship of Lights theory is credible, I think.

I’ve been having similar thoughts for a while although I must admit I didn’t notice the details in the paintings.

Ron Moore has said in the past he was toying with the idea of bringing back the Ship of Lights and there was the talk of having Dirk Benedict turn up at the end of season one ( I think it was season 1 anyway ) playing God.

I’d love to see the Ship of Lights turn up in this new version of Galactica but only time will tell but if the Ship of Lights returns does that mean we will see a new version of Count Iblis as well, perhaps this is a ploy of his ( actually hers given the new Galactica’s tendancy to reimagine characters as a different sex ).

the new show seems to be more about bush and the iraq war clothed in the guise of science fiction than it seems to be real science fiction, or space opera like the original series. it also takes itself way too seriously and is way too preachy. the old series was fun and not so dark and dreary, if i want real world like darkness and nonsense i can tune in cnn, fox news or c-span.

I never saw the original series, so I am not able to comment on whether or not Ron Moore is a hack for stealing the good ideas and dumping the bad ideas. There is nothing new under the sun, guys.

But what does bother me is that the season seems to have dropped into an “all allegory, all the time” mode. Doesn’t anybody over there remember that most of us tune in for the story? Three episodes where nothing really happens (except the “OMG They Killed Calli” bit). I’m tired of guessing. Tell me a story.

I’m also getting tired of the “everybody is crazy” tone. Baltar is religious crazy. Kara is emotional crazy. Adama is exhausted crazy. Laura is power crazy. Chief and Tigh are identity crazy. It’s like somebody fed the entire fleet a big old bucket of crazy.

I was a fan of the old show, and avoided the re-imagining for the whole first season. I finally checked it out, and got hooked! There is room for both in this world- thank goodness for that! Affection for the shows need not be mutually exclusive.

The original show was not cheese- it was a product of what they were able to produce at that time. I loved it!

The new show obviously has the benefit of latitude and technology- I love it!

If you don’t like it- you do have the option of watching anything else. I have seen some absolutely awful re-makes, heard some awful cover songs, etc. I choose not to embrace them. I choose to place my attention elsewhere. I do not choose to disparage others for embracing them.

The music of the show is especially awesome. I am so glad Bear McCreary was able to book an encore show at the Roxy so I could hear it live. Both shows were sold out. A truly amazing experience.

Yes, the show is rife with allegory. So was Star Trek. So are a lot of other shows, past and present. Scifi is one of the best ways to mirror what is happening in the real world. Eliciting emotion and discussion- never a bad thing. Placing it in a cool package- a plus! I want the t-shirt! lol!

Patrick, your theory is wonderfully articulated. Love the screen-caps! You might want to check the forums at Galactica Watercooler for some great discussion about your theory and others. You Tube is also a rich environment for snippets of many references to the old show, as well as some great ones from the new.

I love both versions of the show and agree that there is room for both.

When the first one came out, I thought it was the best and never would have called it cheese at all. Looking at it now in my thirties, I can saw there is some of that seventies camp in it, but I still love it. I have very fond memories of sitting and watching with my parents.

The new show does benefit from being written and produced in a different era of television with different tools for telling a story available that would never have been possible or would have never made it to air back in the seventies. And being older, I like that about the new show. I like the deeper story line.

And to the note about Ron Moore, I do not think he is a hack. Every writer out that lifts material from other writers. It is part of what writers do and they have been doing it throughout all time. Sure there is new material that comes, but there is also a lot of material that is in one way or another just a retelling of an old story with the new writers twist to it. Does that mean we should find Shakespeare’s family and pay them every time we have starcrossed lovers with family problems? No. It part of life and what is called “Creative License” and it happens all the time. Because if you really think that when you walk into a bookstore everyone of those books are completely original works without any lifting from previous material you are unfortunately sadly mistaken.

I had been waiting for the “Ship of Lights” to show up from the original series. It was one of the most memorable episodes of BSG from my childhood. When Starbuck started having the angelic allusions around her (white paint all over, the angel figurine etc) I stated telling my friends about the storyline and how I thought it was what was going to happen to her.

If you look closely at the painting Starbuck is working on in her cabin, you can clearly see the Ship of Lights on the wall. So, I think you’re on to something. Also, I think the “visions” of Six that Baltar has been seeing all along are not just in his head. She is a real entity from the City of Lights. This would explain why sometimes she helps the human cause and sometimes she helps the Cylons.

My suspicions were confirmed in the last episode, where she actually pulls him up to take another beating from the security guard. You can see his clothes actually being pulled up as if by an invisible force.

Yep, it’s definitely the Ship of Lights. And that can only mean that the follow-up series they just greenlighted will include flying motorcycles, microwave oven-vulnerable Cylons and episodes about protecting migrant workers from the exploitative landowners.

Yes I agree and have looked at the comparisons for awhile now. When I saw Starbuck come back in a very clean viper last season it came to mind. When they said that it wa like the Viper just came off the assembly line, thats when I really felt I was on the right track.Finally, when I looked at the painting it clicked! I went on HULU and watched the episodes from the original series and sure as hell she’s painted the ship of lights. What does this mean? I am not sure, but remember that Rom Moore said they will find earth, but it may not be what they expect. Perhaps it’s not earth but terra? Although please get rid of the hoky robots, and the cheesiness..lol

Seriously though, it looks like thats the direction Ron M.’s going to. He has the ship of lights, but what will he do with it? I like that he can take the original premise and play with it to make it different and more interesting. Only time will tell, but I don’t agree that Starbuck wil lead humanity to it’s destruction. I think she just might save it.

I really thought she was drawing the Trinary star system. There’s a big star behind the gast giant and two stars over to the left. It never occurred to me that the other lights could be Jupiter moons or something.

Loved the old show as a kid but it’s pretty much unwatchable now. New show is far superior.

I love the new show. I love the old show, because it gave birth to what is the new show. The idea of the ship of lights coming back is awesome. I would have loved to see how that worked out in TOS, but no dice. Seeing how Ron does it, assuming he does, will be fantastic.
Great theory, hope you’re right.

The author is right on with this! If Moore is copying/hack…who cares! It is a remake repeat remake of the show. The remake has added new stuff to make it up to date and way better than the original. Yes it was cheesy but that was the 70’s.

As soon as as I saw Starbuck’s fighter become all white, I knew right away it was a take on the old show with the “white aliens”. In fact, the white aliens I think have a direct tie into the final 5 cyclons.

I was thinking about this concept when i was cutting the lawn today. I came in a googled on the following

* “battlestar galactica starbuck white” and found this great posting and discussion!

Honestly, I watch the show every week but it hasn’t resonated with me the way Farscape, B5, and other have. Still, it’s a good show and much better than the 1978-9 or 1980 (mostly in that there’s much better writing). Is it commenting on current events? Sure. But in doing so it’s also commenting on human history and human nature. What’s currently going on isn’t new in history, its the same old story that’s been going on for centuries.

Regarding Moore being a hack . . . sure, of course he is. In writing, a hack is a brilliant individual who churns out a lot of good material very quickly. Has he borrowed ideas? Probably. Of course, Shakespeare never had an original plot in his life. Nor did Chaucer (lifted most of his from Boccaccio), Malory, T.H. White, Tolkien, or any of another few dozen novelists I can name.

The only big critique of the theory as presented is that you really need to spellcheck and clean up the wording (like your use of “angels” for “angles”).

Re: Fishhhook, you might want to pay more attention to the series. Caprica’s not an option due to radiation (the effect of using a large number of nukes in atmosphere). New Caprica’s not an option because of the Cylon civil war. Only one faction’s cooperating with Humanity, and even that’s just barely.

I really hated how the mid season ended. Too be honest, it was a cheap way out.
This whole cylon thing is awful as well, let’s make everyone a cylon, that is the twist i bet, I really liked the new BSG seasons 1 & 2, 3 and onward blew. Like Jericho, the start was a great set up, the rest was bunkum.

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